In his 16th year of a coaching career that has spanned six NBA teams, Mike Brown has come to appreciate the varying approaches of elite players.
Kobe Bryant, who played under Brown for a season-plus with the Lakers, treated preseason exhibitions the same as the NBA Finals. A Brown protégé for five seasons in Cleveland, LeBron James was fueled by the desire to help his teammates.
Now, in his first year as the Warriors’ lead assistant, Brown already recognizes an important truth about Draymond Green. A brash, emotional leader, he is at his best when playing the villain.